Inspiration is Everywhere
by Sbstevenson2
Summary: Collection of entries for Inspired by OQ 2019!
1. Moving Forward

_Inspired by the beautiful artwork of hopefulfeathers on Twitter (see Tweet for artwork)_

_Enjoy, and please leave a review!_

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**Moving Forward**

Everything is wrong. The golden dress, perfectly tailored to fit her form is suffocating her. It's not her color, she prefers black or various dark colors to match her daily mood, but Snow had insisted on everyone dressing festively for the Winter Ball.

Ridiculous.

They've been back here, in their original land, for six months, the cold, winter months creeping up on them in a way they'd forgotten it could. It chilled her to the bone, but luckily, she felt dead inside without her little prince, so the cold didn't affect her as much as the others.

She'd escaped the soiree, unnoticed by people celebrating God knows what. There was nothing to celebrate, no cause for joy… there was no happiness left in this life without her son.

Walking toward the window in her study, she spots a mop of dark curls bouncing in the snow, his dark green cape flapping freely behind him. His giggles can be heard even from up here as his father scoops him into his strong arms, swinging him around.

She watches, entranced.

The thief.

And his littlest merry man.

She'd grown fond of them over the months they'd been back. Robin has been trying to help her come to terms with the fact that Henry is gone, giving her space when she's asked but somehow always knowing when to just be there, even if he wasn't talking her ear off like usual, trying to make her crack a smile.

Thinking back over the last half year, she remembers times of sadness that were turned around by Robin and Roland joining her for lunch or walking through the gardens together. The boy was precious, his dimples warming even the coldest of hearts (that being hers, of course). Roland was so carefree, laughing endlessly at anything Regina had to say. She always found herself smiling whenever the boy was around, which instantly caused a pang of guilt to radiate throughout her chest, the one she wished could be empty, yearning every day to rip her beating organ from her chest and bury it far away.

But she can't.

She's promised Snow… and, oddly enough, Robin, as well. It was late, one of their first few weeks back in the Enchanted Forest, and she found herself sharing a drink of whiskey with Robin after everyone had turned in for the night. She'd let her senses be dulled enough to be vulnerable in a moment of weakness, admitting to the blue-eyed thief that she contemplated taking her heart out every morning.

Robin had reached out, rubbing her arm soothingly and encouraging her to try and work through her grief. He'd opened up about losing his Marian and how talking about it was the best remedy for his heartache.

She rolled her eyes back then, but soon came to realize he was, unfortunately, right. Slowly, she had opened up to him a little bit each day, sharing memories of her son – the good ones, the ones that took place before Emma Swan showed up in their life – laughing on occasion as the thought of Henry's laughter and sweet smile filled her heart and mind.

"Papa! Look!" she hears Roland squeal from down below, his little hand pointing excitedly at a small snowman he had attempted to make.

Robin chortles, she can see his dimples shining on his cheeks. They make her feel weak, his dimples… his everything, really – his smile, eyes, arms… but she won't admit that to anyone, barely acknowledging it to herself most days.

She watches as father and son round up snowballs, tossing them at one another and then the poor, unfortunate snowman, his head rolling off with a knock of Robin's snowball, causing Roland to fall into the fluffy snow, laughing uncontrollably.

A small smile creeps onto her face at them, _her boys_, a sentiment she only whispers to her own mind in moments of weakness.

She wants to be a part of their lives and is as much as she possibly can be. But there's a disconnect, a wall between them. A wall named Henry Daniel Mills.

Regina promised Robin a mere two nights ago that she would try, she would give her best effort to let them develop into what they both knew they should be, but it was hard.

Her hand reaches up, touching the window lightly as if she could reach out to them down there, running her hands through Roland's unruly curls and sharing secret glances with his father. She sighs out, her smile fading into something more melancholic.

Robin catches her gaze then, looking up to where she stands at the window still, a small grin blooming on his face. She averts her eyes, glancing over to Roland, watching as he plops down, spreading his arms and legs out to make snow angels (a skill she'd taught him a few weeks ago when the first snow had fallen).

Looking back, Robin still holds her gaze. She takes a deep breath, staring back at him. He notches his head to the side, silently asking her to join them.

She can't. She shouldn't.

If she does, she knows the last few stones remaining on her heavily guarded wall will crumble, allowing her to give in completely to the duo down below.

Regina blinks slowly, her eyes staying shut longer than need be. She opens slowly, and Robin nods in understanding, a sad smile forming on his lips.

She bites her bottom lip, willing the tears trying to form to disappear, for she knows Robin would notice even from down there. He'd end his and Roland's playtime in order to seek her out. And as nice as that sounds, as much as she wants another one of those kisses she'd allowed him to bestow upon her the other night, she just… can't.

She can't betray Henry like that, and forming a new family, in a new land, would be the biggest betrayal of all.

Smiling in apology down to Robin, her eyes trail back over to Roland. He spies her up above, and he stands, pointing excitedly down to his perfectly formed angel in the snow. She can hear a muffled, "Gina! Gina, look!" as his hair bounces against his forehead. A traitorous laugh escapes her lips, and she reaches up, covering her mouth in fear that someone inside the palace might be walking by and hear her.

She shakes her head in amusement, smile falling slightly. She wants to go down there so badly, wants to invite them to her chambers for supper tonight. She can't… but, as she watches them turn their attention away from her, back to their games in the snow as Little John joins them, she thinks she just might.

Maybe Robin is right, maybe moving forward with her life isn't a betrayal of her favorite little boy, almost a teenager now, maybe it's exactly what he'd want. Her happiness.


	2. Rescues and Reassurances

_Day 2 of Inspired by OQ 2019. Inspired by a cut manip from Phoenix_Shine (see tweet for artwork)_

_Hope you enjoy… please review!_

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**Rescues and Reassurances **

"Are you kidding me?" his wife groans, exasperated as he punches the buttons on the lift.

Regina huffs in annoyance, reaching up to rub at her swollen belly as she presses the back of her head to the wall behind her.

Robin chuckles, "It, uh," he stammers, scratching the back of his neck, "appears to be stuck."

His wife's eyes open just long enough to roll at him, an irritated, _Yes, I can see that, Robin_, falling from her mouth.

He grins, the corners of his blue eyes crinkling in that way he knows she loves so much. She's been feistier lately, the end of pregnancy becoming more difficult, but he couldn't help finding her adorable, even when irritated with the smallest of things. "You say this as if it's my fault, my love."

Sighing out, Regina shakes her head, slumping, as gracefully as an eight month pregnant woman can, to the ground. "I know it's not," she relents, smiling apologetically up at him. "You know I just get grumpy so easily these days."

They chuckle together, Robin tugging at his blue jeans, hiking them up to give him enough room to squat down and meet her eyes. She stretches one leg out, the other bending up. Her lacey white dress falls between her legs, covering the part of her he was just beginning to eye.

"Easy there, tiger," she smirks, one eyebrow lifting at his bemused expression.

Robin just shrugs, saying she can't really blame him for looking. Laughing, she smiles over to him, and he is so glad that after all this time they can still have this flirtation between them.

They'd met senior year of college at a dinner party hosted by their mutual friend, Belle. He was in the same major as the auburn haired girl and had been in classes together since freshman year, while Regina and Belle had met only a year prior when she began dating Regina's friend, Rupert (or Gold, as everyone seemed to call him by his surname for some reason). The pair had hit it off right away, both bonding over the fact that the only person they knew there was Belle, while all the other guests appeared to know each other. Robin had convinced her to sneak away, taking a bottle of wine from the kitchen and their glasses out to the back patio. They'd spent the next few hours alone outside, getting to know one another and trying their hardest to ignore the obvious connection they both felt.

It had only taken him the amount of time it took from Belle's house to his to contact Regina, finally admitting years later that he'd gotten Belle to write her number down before he left the party. She was just captivating, he couldn't let her go, didn't _want_ to let her go, and definitely didn't want to wait for another dinner party to see her again.

Eight years later and here they were: married for the past five years and expecting their first child. They had agreed to wait on having kids, both wanting to become established in their careers. She'd had a pregnancy scare the first year of their marriage, one they were both happy to accept should it result in a baby, but it turned out to be a false positive. He had held her closely as they both cried over a dream they didn't realize they wanted so badly, but they had eventually dried their tears and focused on their other goals for a while, agreeing that if it happened before they decided to try, it would be a delightful surprise.

When Regina discovered this pregnancy, however, they both shed tears of joy, happy to finally start a family together after all this time.

He hears a bag crinkle, pulling him from his thoughts. He blinks to bring himself back to reality and smirks when he spies her removing a bag of peanut M&M's out of her purse.

Her eyes flick to his, a small smile tugging on her lips as she reaches back into her purse, pulling out a small container of Nutella.

Robin's eyebrows raise, not stupid enough to question her choices right now, but clearly the eyebrows were enough. "What?" she asks, dipping a piece of the candy into the hazelnut spread. "You know I get hungry."

He settles onto the ground in front of her, sitting criss cross as he moans, glancing up at the buttons on the lift. He reaches behind him, pressing a random one to check that it's still broken, and sure enough, nothing happens.

He huffs, looking back at his wife. She's licking a bit of Nutella off her finger tip, and he laughs, reaching out to take the candy bag from her. Dumping a few M&M's into the palm of his hand, then handing the bag back to her before she has time to claim those are her pregnancy snacks.

"Hey," she mumbles around a bite of candy, "No more, mister." She smirks as she chews, holding out the M&M bag for him to take.

Taking it, he scoots closer, letting one hand rest on her bump. He loves this, loves being able to touch her stomach and feel their child beneath his hand. It's amazing, and the first time their little guy had moved for him, he couldn't stop staring, asking the belly to move again. "I can't believe he's going to be here next month."

Regina smiles, exhaling deeply as she lets her head rest against the wall. "I can't wait," she tells him, her eyes lifting to the ceiling, "I need this baby out of me."

He snorts, stroking her stomach again and asking their son to move for him. They wait a beat, both staring at each other with matching grins on their faces. After a moment, the little boy gives Regina a swift kick to the ribs, causing her to wince. "Ouch," she chuckles, rubbing at the spot he'd just offended. "That one hurt."

He drops a few more M&M's into his hand, chin jutting out as he eyes the Nutella jar. "Wanna try it?" she inquires with a sly voice, waving the jar in front of his face. He smirks, dipping one in and discovering that the taste is actually quite pleasant.

"Okay," he relents, "I'll give you this craving. It's not so weird."

"Thank you," she laughs, nodding in triumph. She leans over, peering into her purse. Reaching in, she removes a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips. She rattles the bag, eyebrows bouncing in his direction. "Now this," she says, pinching the bag and pulling it open, the smell of vinegar hitting him in the face, "is what I really want." Regina takes a single chip out, dipping it into the jar he still holds, stuffing the chocolate covered chip into her mouth.

Robin grimaces, handing the Nutella container back to her, swiftly informing her that she's tainted the creamy spread and he can no longer enjoy it.

She rolls her eyes, sticking another chip into her mouth. "Your loss," she shrugs.

Robin just laughs, shaking his head as he stands, picking up the phone in the lift. He speaks with the security guard downstairs in their apartment's lobby, confirming that someone is on the way to fix the lift. Once assured that the firemen would be there in five minutes or less to get them out, Robin hangs up, thanking Leroy.

Smiling, Robin situates himself beside his wife. Their shoulders brush against each other's, and she rests her head on his sweater covered shoulder. He places a kiss to the top of her head, relaying the man's message to her.

She nods, lifting her head to eat another chip. "So much for all of our plans today," she huffs, checking the time on his watch.

"We can still get most of it done," he declares, looping his arm around her shoulders. They'd planned to spend the morning picking up the last few items needed for the nursery, then going to Target to pick out some more clothes (she claims they don't have enough even though the baby's entire closet is already filled with clothes of varying sizes). "We can just skip Target."

Her head whips to the side, eyes going wide as she claims they _have_ to go, the diapers are on sale and she wants to look at the new onesies they'd just put out. He chortles, finally agreeing they can still go. "We can go pick up the paintings for the nursery tomorrow instead."

She sighs, saying that's not really what she wanted to do, wanted to get it all done today so they could stay home tomorrow and hang them up on the nursery wall before napping and relaxing on the couch all day. "Well," he says, checking the time again, "Are there pictures at Target we could get instead?"

After receiving a firm _No_, he agrees to swinging by Hobby Lobby if she'll let him run in and grab them by himself. She can't exactly walk as fast these days, waddles, in fact, from place to place, and they both know it'll be quicker if he goes on his own. So, she relents, agreeing to let him if he texts her a picture of the paintings before he buys them to make sure he has the correct ones.

"Alright," he chuckles, taking out his cell. He pulls up the store's website, browsing their page of paintings to go ahead and confirm the ones she desires. They have Belle's baby shower to get to later this afternoon, so he knows he'll have to hurry, because he _knows_ they'll stay in Target far longer than planned… like always.

She sticks the last Nutella covered chip into her mouth, handing him the jar to close while she rolls up the bag, clipping it shut with a mysterious chip clip she just so happened to have stashed in her large purse as well. Brushing her hands off to the side of her, she licks each finger, giggling and claiming there was no other way when she spots his eyes on her. "I can't get my dress dirty before the shower today!"

They laugh, and he leans over, pecking her cheek before placing the Nutella back into its rightful place in the purse.

Regina sighs, reaching over to take his hand. He intertwines their fingers, both of them closing their eyes as they wait for their rescuers. "I'm nervous," she whispers vulnerably, stroking her belly and turning her head to look at him. "About the baby."

Her brown eyes are glossy, and he quickly tries to make those tears go away. He assures her that it's okay to be nervous, everyone says that's normal. "Everything will be fine, darling," he promises, cupping her cheek in his hand and bringing her lips to meet his.

She gives in, pressing her lips more fully against his. Robin's hand meets hers on her stomach, rubbing soft circles to the top of her hand. They break apart, and he gives her a sympathetic look. He's not sure where her fears are coming from all of a sudden, but he never wants her to feel afraid. "We're in this together," he vows, stroking her cheek, "You and me. Just like with everything. Remember that time John almost got us all arrested?" She chuckles, sniffling as she nods. "We stuck together then, yeah? And it's the same now."

It's a terrible comparison, really, an almost arrest after going skinny dipping in a lake the summer after college graduation is nothing compared to bringing a baby into this world, but it makes her smile, and that's all that matters to him. He never wants her to feel afraid or scared or worried or sad… he knows it's inevitable, things will happen in their life to make one or both of them feel those things, but he'll do anything in his power to ease her worries.

Regina bites her lip, smiling over to him. She rests her head on his shoulder, telling him, "You're going to be a great dad."

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he assures her, "Well you're going to be an amazing mum, so I'd say Roland is one lucky little boy."

He can feel the corner of her mouth lift into a smile against his shoulder, and he leans his head against the top of hers. They breathe out in synchronization, his mind swirling as he imagines what their little boy will look like. "Do you think he'll have my dimples?"

"God," she breathes blissfully, "I hope so." She turns her head, pressing a kiss to his shoulder before leaning against it again. Their fingers link, and he pulls their joined hands into his lap. "I'm going to be screwed though if he does," she laughs, her free hand rubbing circles against her bump. "Your's are hard enough to resist, I can't imagine a tiny pair grinning up at me on _our_ _child's_ face."

He chuckles, emotion swelling in his chest as he pictures their son trying to get out of trouble by flashing those dimples at Regina. Better yet, the pair of them trying to convince her to go to the beach or some other amazing vacation by guilting her with their matching sets. He laughs at the image, knowing good and well she and Roland will be able to guilt him into plenty of after dinner ice cream runs and weekends at the ice skating rink if he shares those deep, soulful brown eyes with his mother that Robin can never say no to. Or, hell, even if he doesn't, Robin would do anything for his wife and child, he'll be putty in their hands from the moment Roland is born.

"What's so funny?" she asks, lifting her head from where it has been resting.

Robin shakes his head, pressing a kiss to her lips once more, murmuring, _Nothing_, into the small space between them. She smiles, that smile that makes his knees go weak, the smile he'd give up a thousand camping trips with his brother for just to see it never leave her face.

Sighing, she places her head back on his shoulder, a yawn escaping her lips. She says something about needing a nap, and he tells her she can do that on the way to the store and while he's inside picking up the paintings.

She giggles, nodding against him, saying that sounds like a plan.

Before he can say anything else, they hear the firemen talking to them through the door. Their voices are muffled, but he can make out the words _Stay back_ and _Prying_. Robin stands, extending his hands for Regina to take. He helps her stand back up, and he bends to pick up her purse.

Handing it to her, she smiles, and her hand takes his. After a few minutes, the doors are finally pried open, the firefighters holding it open and reaching out, gesturing for them to get off. Robin lets Regina go first, his hand firmly planted on the small of her back.

They thank the firemen, and decide together to take the stairs the last five flights instead of risking another lift ride.

As they make their way out into the sunshine, he smiles, excited for the day spent together, but most importantly, excited for their future.

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_Thoughts?_


	3. Fine by Him

_Inspired by a super adorable manip by imnikkiheat of Robin and Regina staring down at a newborn baby (see tweet for artwork)... Enjoy! Please review._

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**Fine by Him:**

She's adorable. The most beautiful baby he's ever seen. He may be biased, knows he is in fact, but he can't help it. Their baby girl is the most perfect little thing Robin has ever laid eyes on.

She was born four days ago, they've been home for two days now, and he can't stop staring at her. Regina had laughed this morning, saying he was going to have to turn his focus onto something else at some point, but he just waved her off, saying his focus was now solely on Sophie and that was the end of it.

Bouncing little Sophie in his arms, Robin chuckles softly, musing over his wife's pregnancy. The past nine months had been interesting ones, that's for sure – cravings, her pregnancy pillow taking up the entirety of their bed, up at all hours of the night because she was unable to get comfortable due to their baby pressing on random organs – but it had all been worth it.

Their first night in the hospital he had sat up in the chair beside Regina's bed, watching as she nursed their beautiful baby girl. She was humming softly to her, stroking her chubby cheek and smiling down at her. Regina had never looked so gorgeous than she did in that moment. She looked so happy, so content, and Robin loves that he was able to help create something in this world that brought his love that much happiness.

"Hey, you," she croons, walking into the nursery. Her plaid shirt flaps open at the top, still not completely buttoned from the latest feeding. Her hair is pulled up messily, her bangs falling into her eyes, she has a little bit of spit up on her shoulder, and he knows she'd feel awful if she saw herself, but to him, she's never looked better. Motherhood suits her, and he can't help the smile that grows on his face.

"Hey," he replies, leaning to kiss her temple. He breathes her in, and she giggles, warning him that she smells like baby spit up. Robin simply laughs, waving her off with a shrug of his shoulders. "Never smelled better if you ask me."

With a playful roll of her eyes, Regina looks down to their baby girl. Her hand reaches up, rubbing her belly gently. Sophie coos, brown eyes cracking open to glance around.

They both smile, looking to one another and then back to her. "I can't get over how beautiful she is," Regina sighs, leaning down to press a kiss to her button nose.

Robin nods, swaying back and forth as Sophie drifts back into dreamland. He'd just changed her diaper, so he's satisfied she'll sleep for the next, hopefully, hour or two and give her parents a chance to nap.

He moves back from the changing table, stepping gingerly over to the light gray glider rocker. "You think her eyes will stay brown?" he asks, still looking at their daughter as he tries to memorize her like this.

Regina exhales a soft, breathy chuckle through her nose, coming to sit on the ottoman beside the chair. Her hand lands on his knee, giving his thigh a gentle rub. "Probably," she responds, "and it better if her hair is going to stay dirty blonde like yours."

He grins, moving his eyes from Sophie to Regina. Snorting, he agrees, saying she's the perfect mixture of them with his hair and her eyes. "And she appears to have your nose," he adds, taking one hand from under Sophie to tap his wife's nose.

It scrunches in that way he finds so adorable, and he smiles, counting his lucky stars that he'd had the good sense to sign up for an English Literature class back in college. It gave him the opportunity to debate if evil was born or made based on a person's upbringing with one Regina Mills during a discussion of Jekyll and Hyde, impressing her enough that she was willing to give a prat like him a chance in hell so many years ago.

They sit in silence for a few moments, the room filling with the soft puffs of air coming from the little girl and the faint sounds of the television out in the living room.

Regina yawns, leaning to pick up the burp cloth that had fallen off her lap. She slings it over her shoulder, standing and reaching for the baby. Robin smiles, lifting her up to hand her off to her mother. "I'm going to go lay her down in her swing," she explains.

He nods, knowing she'll sleep better out there. Sophie loves that swing, a fact he's found so cute over the last few days. She has her bassinet, has a pack-and-play, a floor mat, but nothing soothes her quite like that swing.

Robin follows her out into the living room, settling down on the couch as Regina situates Sophie into the swing. She presses the button, bringing the contraption to life. It's gentle rocking and soft lullaby would put anyone to sleep.

Regina joins him on the couch, his arm draping over her shoulders. She pulls her legs up onto the cushion, bending them so she's curled into his side.

Robin presses a kiss to the top of her head, asking, "Are you hungry?"

He can feel her shake her head against his chest, a muffled, "Mm, no," coming from her. He smiles, knowing how exhausted she is. He's tired, too, a type of tired he's never experienced before bringing their child home. He's trying to help Regina with the late night and early morning feedings, but while she's breastfeeding there isn't much he can do. Still, though, he's been waking up with her, keeping her company as Sophie nurses. Regina told him she was only breastfeeding for a short while, wanting to pump so that the baby could get used to it when she goes back to work in a few weeks.

Regina reaches across his lap, taking the remote from beside him. She changes the input on the television, scrolling down to select their Netflix account. She sighs, making a comment about there not being enough movies on there anymore. He chuckles, shaking his head. There's plenty of movies, but he knows she's just sleepy, needing something to watch as she drifts off, but being this tired also makes her a bit grumpy. Not that he can blame her. He hopes that once she starts pumping, she'll let him take some of the late feedings on his own, allowing herself to get more sleep. She deserves it after working so hard to bring their daughter into this world.

She selects a random, cheesy romantic comedy, chuckling when she hears his groan rattle in his chest against her ear. "You're gonna love this one," she promises, leaning up to kiss his lips.

He smiles into the kiss, one hand reaching up to cup her cheek. He presses his lips firmly to hers, sighing at the contact.

When she pulls apart, she smiles sleepily at him, her brown eyes drooping as she snuggles further onto the couch, her arm bending to rest under her head which now resides in Robin's lap. A soft smile pulls at his lips as he stares down at her lovingly, watching as sleep pulls her under. His arm that had been around her shoulders now rests against her hip, while his other combs through her dark tresses.

Soon after, she's snoring slightly, and he's not far behind her. He sets an alarm on his phone for an hour from now, making sure he'll (hopefully) be up before her and Sophie so he can make Regina some lunch.

Robin leans his head back against the back of the couch, eyes growing heavier as he listens to the hum of the television he'd turned to a lower volume when he realized Regina wasn't going to actually watch the movie. As the sappy movie and Sophie's swing lull him to sleep, he can't contain the smile on his lips that never seems to leave now that he has their child in his life.

Life is good. Perfect, even, and he's excited to see how parenthood changes them. His eyes open briefly, glancing over to his daughter, watching as her belly goes up and down with her heavy slumber. He loves her, loves her mother too, and he knows he'll be a sucker to their beautiful brown eyes for the rest of his life… and that's just fine by him.


	4. Nothing Better

_Inspired by the unbelievably talented starscythe (see tweet for artwork). Ejoy! Please review._

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**Nothing Better**

They walk toward one another, Regina noticing he's wearing the scarf she'd gotten him for Christmas. The chilly January air whips by her, blowing her long, raven hair behind her shoulders. She has to press a hand to her chest, holding down the billowing black scarf wrapped around her neck.

They're standing outside his apartment complex, far too excited to see each other to go inside at the moment. When she gets to him, Robin wraps her in a tight hug, saying over and over again how much he missed her.

"I've only been gone a week," she giggles, knowing she's missed him just as much. Pulling apart from the hug, she beams up at her handsome boyfriend once again, glad to see his face on more than just a phone screen again. She'd gone home to America, visiting her family for the end of Winter holiday since she'd spent Christmas with his family here in England.

It had been wonderful, she always enjoys time with her father and friends that still live in Maine, but she'd missed Robin beyond belief. They've only been together since June, but she just knows he's different. They're still young, only in their third year of college, but she knows they're the real deal, he's her forever, and she's excited to see what happens with them next.

She stands on her tiptoes, pulling him closer using the lapel of his jacket, and presses her lips to his soundly. A slight moan echoes from the back of his throat, and she smirks into the embrace. His arms wrap around her, his gloved fingers tangling in her wind-swept tresses.

Pulling apart, she notices he has a weird look on his face. "Robin?" she head tilts to the side as her brows cinch closer together. "What's wrong?" Always a worrier, the worst case scenarios run through her mind like flashes of lightning – he's breaking up with her, someone is sick, someone _died_, he's moving to Paris to finish school…

Robin takes a deep breath, his hands moving from where they rest on her waist to hold her hands between their bodies. She shakes her head, fearful now of what he wants to say. "Regina…" he licks his lips, then rubs them together, obviously trying to gain courage for whatever it is he has to tell her.

"Just say it, Robin," she states, a swirl of emotion coursing through her body. Her eyes well with tears, but she blinks them away, cursing herself for being so sensitive and hoping he didn't see them.

"Regina, I," he trails off again, shaking his head at himself. He huffs out in annoyance, a puff of air wafting from his lips, out into the cold air. The scrunch to his brow bringing a small smile to her face; he's so cute when he's frustrated, usually looks like that when he's studying for an exam, and she loves how seriously he takes some things. He sighs again, eyes closing, then opening again slowly.

He starts to laugh, confusing her even more. She smiles, nervously laughing along as she questions him again when he mumbles to himself that he's being daft. "Regina," he starts again, adding, "we've only been together for six months." She nods, eyeing him suspiciously. "And, and... I know that doesn't _seem_ like enough time, but, I, well," he stammers, rolling his eyes up to the sky.

He looks back to her, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. His dimples peek out a little bit beneath the scruff he's grown since she left last week, and she has to remind herself to look at his face, not the dimples and lips she wants to kiss so desperately right now. "What I'm trying to say is that some people need more time to… to know…" he chatters on, their hands still joined between their bodies. She can feel his palms shaking, and she isn't sure if it's from the frigid air or from nerves. "But I don't need more time to know, hell, I knew months ago!"

"Knew what?" she asks, confused. He's not making sense, and as adorable and he looks, she's freezing. It'd been snowing in London since right before Christmas, a frosty bite to the air that has only grown colder since she left.

Robin chuckles again, shaking his head at himself. He growls out an odd groan, his head ducking down before looking back up to her. His blue eyes are shining brighter than normal, and she gets lost in their depths for a moment. God, she loves those eyes, loves everything about him actually, they just haven't said _those words_ to one another yet. She isn't sure why, she's known for months that she… oh, shit. Is he trying to say that he loves her? She quickly pulls herself back from her thoughts, focusing on him once again as her eyes light up in knowing excitement. She bites down on her lip, trying to tamp down the smile threatening to bloom on her face.

He must figure out that she knows what he's trying to convey, for he chuckles once again, nodding at her. "I've known for months that I love you, Regina." They smile dopily at each other, like a pair of idiots lost in their own little world, before he adds, "I wanted to tell you before you left for Thanksgiving, but I chickened out. Thought it was too soon." She shakes her head, knowing even back then, after just after four months, she would've felt the same way. "And I was going to tell you at Christmas, but then Will was there, ragging me to tell you how I felt and making kissy sounds every time you walked into the room, and my parents were there, and it… it just didn't feel like the time to say it."

She laughs, imagining his brother puckering up and making kiss noises in Robin's ear the whole time they were there. "Robin," she starts, trying to cut off his explanation as to why he didn't tell her every day since they got back from his parents'. He's in the middle of saying he wanted to shout it from the rooftop of the airport the day she left for Maine last week, but he knew she wouldn't want it to happen like that. "Robin," she says again, giving his hands a gentle squeeze.

"I knew you'd want it to be just us, and I didn't want to say anything right before we left for the airport, because that would be shit, wouldn't it?" he rambles. "Telling you and then sending you back across the ocean for a week, unable to kiss or celebrate the fact that I love you, and—"

"— Robin!"

His eyes widen, finally meeting hers. Her face melts as she looks into his gorgeous eyes, her face molding into a look of pure love, like one gives a child when they say something extra adorable. "Sorry," he says sheepishly, bringing his gloved hand up to kiss the back of one of hers.

"Robin," she repeats, beaming over at him. "I love you, too."

His entire face lights up at that news, brighter than she's ever seen it, and he scoops her into his arms, laughing into her dark hair as it cascades around him. She squeals, arms looping around his shoulders as her feet swing around in a circle while he spins their bodies. They're both laughing, tears forming in her eyes as she hears him whispering, "I love you, I love you, I love you," repeatedly into her ear.

He sets her back down on solid ground, their matching mega-watt smiles able to power the entire city at this point. "Come on," she asserts, taking his hand back in hers and pulling him toward his building. "Let's go get warmed up."

He waggles his eyebrows, making her snort. She turns to walk inside, a swift pat to her rear making her jump. "Not the warming up I had in mind," she playfully chastises. "I was thinking more… hot chocolate by the fire and a movie. But…" she turns around, placing another kiss to his lips. The automatic doors slide open, and they walk in, Regina pulling him down so she can whisper a sultry, "I like your idea better," into his ear.

He chuckles hotly against her ear, placing a kiss to her lobe, giving it a little nip, before leading her inside the lobby and onto the elevator.

They make it upstairs, having used all of their self control as they ascended twenty-three floors, and she doesn't think he's ever opened the front door fast enough.

Closing the door behind her, she turns, instantly overwhelmed with all that is him. His arms are around her waist, hers around his neck, hands moving down to caress his shoulders as his lips attach onto hers. They stumble down the hall and into the bedroom, making plans to go get more of her clothes tonight so she can laze the weekend away here without having to leave. They spend the rest of the evening tangled together, skin on skin, kisses bestowed upon every inch they could find while hands roam. She doesn't have to simply show Robin that she loves him anymore, but now, finally, she can say it. And that's, somehow, so much more satisfying.

She loves this man, and he loves her, and nothing could be better than that.

{************************}

_Thoughts?_


End file.
